Sleeve pressing machine



May 8, 1934. A. 0. LONG SLEEVE PRESSING MACHINE Filed Dec. 15, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR. Arc/7 a Q Lang ATTORNEY.

May 8, 1934. A. 0. LONG SLEEVE PRESSING MACHINE Filed Dec. 15 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. I rc/z/bQza/gg ATTORNEY.

Patented May 8, 1934 iTED STATES PATENT; OFFIE My invention relates to laundry apparatus and more particularly to forms or bucks on which garments and parts of garments may be arranged I and treated for smoothing the same. The prin- 5 cipal objects of the invention are to provide a sleeve treating form adjustable to different sizes of sleeves, and to adjust a sleeve form to the sizes and shapes of sleeves and sleeve portions for ironing the sleeves. A further object is to finish a sleeve'wtihout wrinkles and completely dry by gusset stretching member adapted to be pivotally mounted on said fixed member.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section on the line 55, Fig. 3. Y In terms of broad inclusion, the invention con- "30 s'ists in providing a form having stationary and movable posts. and expanding one or more movable parts to stretch a garment or garment portion mounted on the form, whereby the form may accommodate garments or garment portions 5 such as shirt sleeves of all sizes, for example a sleeve from a point known as the gusset or placket to the seam whereby the sleeve is attached to the body of the shirt.

i Referring in detail to the drawings:

1 designates a frame or support including side legso r walls 2 and a top or table 3, which may be formed of metal and is adapted to support portions of garments subjected to the pressing operations of the machine. I

A fixed sleeve form member 5 tapering upwardly from a base end 6 and having sides diverging from a front edge 7, is fixed to the table by'a bolt 8. A laterally curved recess 9 in the 50 front edge of the member extends from the base end to receive an expanding wedge-like plate. or wing 10 substantially triangular in cross section and tapering longitudinally as a whole. The smaller upper end of the wing 10 is pivotally 5 mounted to the fixed member at the upper end of the groove by a pin 11 so that the wing will swing toward and away from said member and taperingly increase the cross sectional dimensions thereof. The plate is countersunk in the member 5 in retracted'position, and inclines downwardly outwardly therefrom in extended position to con form to the enlarged portion of a shirt sleeve adjacent the shoulder or body seam.

A movable sleeve form member 12 having a tongue 13 extending from the base end thereof through a slot 14 of the table is retained in sliding engagement with the table top surface by a keeper plate 15 fixed to the tongue by eye bolts 16 and 17 and engaging the lower surface of the table for sliding movement of the member 12 toward and away from the fixed member 5. The two sleeve members have laterally and upwardly tapering surfaces adapted to form when the members are in snug engagement, a buck-like work support or sleeve pressing unit having substantially the shape of a garment sleeve and when expanded as presently described will produce a form having a substantially increased cross section to fill a relatively large sleeve.

One of the members has a groove 18 on its inner face and the other a tongue 19 engageable in the groove to assure snug engagement between the members.

The sleeve form preferably comprises hollow metal members having top-closing plates or walls 20 to receive steam whereby they may be heated, and bottom or base end walls 21 to which the attaching bolts 8 and eye bolts 16-17 are attached.

A rigid pipe 22 leading through the table top into the bottom of the fixed sleeve member is connected with a steam line 23, for conducting steam into the sleeve member, and a nipple 24 leading through the keeper plate 15 and tongue of the movable member has flexible connection through a hose 25 with the steam line for supplying steam to the member 12.

The conduits 22 and 24 extend a substantial distance upwardly into the hollow sleeve members, to avoid interference of accumulated condensed moisture with inlet steam, and drains 22' and 24' are connected to the members and to a valved drain pipe 23' for removing water from the members.

The movable sleeve form member is preferably normally urged away from the fixed member by resilient means such as a spring 27 having opposite ends anchored respectively in the eye bolt 16 and a bolt 28 fixed to a flange of the table. A spring 29 having opposite ends fixed to the lower free end of the expanding wedge and an opposite end anchored to a post or bolt 30 at the front edge of the table normally retains the wedge in outwardly inclined position to produce a maxi mum spread of the form.

A cable 31 having an inner end attached to the eye bolt 17 of the movable sleeve form member leads over a pulley 32, and a similar flexible member 33 connected to the lower end of the wedge member extends through a slot 34 in the table and over a pulley for operating the movable members. The pulleys are supported on arms 36 and 37 of a bracket 38 fixed to the under side of the table. The cables are led over the pulleys to eye bolts 40 and 41 secured to a treadle or pedal lever arm 42 mounted on a shaft 43 supported by the legs of the table, whereby pressure on the foot piece of the pedal may effect movement of the sleeve form member 12 and wedge 15 toward the fixed member against the influence of the springs to assemble the form in contracted position to receive a sleeve.

A latch 44 having an arcuate nose 45'is pivotally mounted on a shaft 46 parallel with the pedalsupporting shaft, and tends to swing forwardly downwardly to engage a bar 47 projecting laterally from the pedal lever to retain the pedal lever in depressed position. The foot piece on the outer end arm of the latch may be depressed to release the latch. A weight 48 is preferably provided on the nose portion or arm of the latch lever to cause the latch normally to move toward latching position.

I further preferably mount a pair of sleeve forms each constructed as above described on the top of a table in suitable relation to each other to receive the sleeves of a shirt or like garment, and connect the movable sleeve form member and the wedge of the second form to the pedal by cables 50 and 51 whereby depression of the pedal may coincidently move the several movable members and wedges into assembled relation with the fixed sleeve form members.

In using the device for pressing the sleeves of a shirt the operator will depress the pedal to effect movement of the bar over the curved nose of the latch to displace the latch rearwardly, the weight then returning the latch to engage the bar when the pedal lever is fully depressed. The downwardly moving pedal acts on the cables to move the sleeve form members and tapered wedges into engagement with the fixed members against the influence of the springs.

The shirt sleeves may then be mounted over the contracted sleeve forms, so that the body of the shirt will overlie the table top, and the en larged portions of the sleeve adjacent the shoulder will be located over the lower ends of the sleeve forms. The seams whereby the sleeves are joined to the body of the shirt will thus be located as indicated in Fig. 3.

The operator will then depress the latch pedal to release the operating pedal and permit the springs to effect expansion of the sleeve forms.

The sleeve form members will move away from the fixed members to fill out and stretch the sleeves, and the pivoted wedge members will move outwardly to-stretch' the enlarged portions of the sleeves adjacent the shoulder.

The sleeve forms may be heated by steam since the flexible connection described permits steam to be delivered to the slidable sleeve form members.

V The expansion of the sleeve forms will thus effect pressing of the sleeves, and will be automatically adjusted to fill out and press sleeves of greatly varying sizes.

Attention is called to the limitation of length of the sleeve forms, whereby the gussets at the cuffs of sleeves may lie on the end plates of the forms to receive pressing operations.

Attention is particularly called to the movable wedge-like member 10, which irons or stretches that part of the sleeve next to the body of the shirt that cannot be expanded on a straight or tapering form, such part extending two to three inches along the top portion of the sleeve. The two movable form members thus cooperate to press that part of the sleeve from the gusset at the cuff to the body seam, the small movable member expanding to fill and stretch the larger and relatively short portion of the shirt next-to the body seam.

Steam will normally be supplied to the hollow sleeve form members under suitable pressure, for example 100 pounds and discharged into the top portions of the members, the joints between pipes and bottom walls being steam and air tight. Condensates will be removed through the return pipe which may be equipped with a separating trap. The auxiliary stretching wings will be heated due to snug engagement thereof with the steam heated fixed sleeve form members be tween ironing operations.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A sleeve pressing machine including a frame, a sleeve receiving form including a member fixed to the frame and a mating member slidable on the frame, an expansion wedge pivoted to said fixed member, means tending to urge said slidable member and wedge away from the fixed member, and means for latching said sliding member and expansion wedge in engagement with the fixed member.

2. A sleeve pressing machine including a form comprising a fixed member, a movable member movable into and out of engagement with the fixed member, and a wedge-like expansion member pivoted to the fixed member, resilient means tending to urge said movable members away from the fixed member, means for moving said mov able members into retracted position against the influence of said resilient means, and a latch automatically engaging said retracting means for retaining said movable members in retracted position.

3. A device of the character described including a support, an expansible form on the support including a fixed member, a member movable toward and away from the fixed member, a member pivotally supported by said fixed member, separate means tending to move said movable and pivoted members to expand the form, means for latching said members in retracted position, and means for releasing said latching means.

4. A sleeve pressing machine comprising a support, an expansible sleeve form mounted on the support including a hollow fixed member tapering upwardly from the support and having a closed upper end and a groove in one vertical edge forming a seat, a hollow member slidable on the support and tapering upwardly therefrom, said members tapering laterally to conform-approximately to the shape of a sleeve, a wedgelike tapering member comprising a plate bent to conform tosaid seat and having a smaller upper end pivotally mounted on said fixed member, resilient means anchored to the support and tending to urge said movable member away from said fixed member, resilient means anchored to the support and tending to urge said wedge-like member away from said fixed member, means for moving said movable and wedge-like members into retracted position against the influence of said resilient means, common means for latching said movable and wedge-like members in retracted position, means for releasing said latching means, and means for supplying a heating medium to said hollow members.

5. A sleeve pressing machine including a frame, a sleeve receiving form including a member fixed to the frame and a mating member slidable on the frame, an expansion wedge pivoted to said fixed member, means tending to urge said slidable member and wedge away from the fixed member, means for latching said sliding member and wedge in engagement with the fixed member, and means independently supplying a heating medium to each of said fixed and mating members.

6. A device of the character described including a support, an expansible form on the support including a fixed member, a member movable toward-and away from the fixed member, a member pivotally supported by said fixed member, separate means tending to move said movable and pivoted members to expand the form, means for latching said members in retracted position, means for releasing said latching means, and means independently supplying a heating medium to each of said fixed and movable members.

ARCHIE 0. LONG. 

